Ruffle
by Quirky Del
Summary: No one in their right mind could help but feel at peace with the world on a morning such as this.Too bad Laurie wasn't in his right mind.'Jo's wedding day ONE SHOT


**Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Little Women. The one small bit in italized quotes is Alcott's quote, of course.**

**Author's Note: This was inspired by literaryfreak wondering how Laurie acted during Jo's wedding, it got me thinking about it again, too. And I know how rese also loves brooding stalkerish Laurie just as much as I do! Haha. So, I thought this would be fun to write!**

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The morning sun kissed the birds as they helped bring in the new day with their merry song. A cool breeze snapped the trees to hearty attention, the lithe branches waving good morning. Even the clouds were fluffed to their finest as they rolled along with the happy wind, whistling a greeting in their wake. No one in their right mind could help but feel at peace with the world on a morning such as this.

Too bad Laurie wasn't in his right mind.

There was a palpable tension floating within the Laurence bedchamber, soupy in the otherwise clear new day. Laurie had drawn himself underneath the lush blankets, hoping to use silk and cotton as a shield against his misery. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to get out of bed, he didn't want to do anything. Well, he did want to do _something_, but it was a something that would never happen. He groaned as Amy's soft voice chirped from the doorway.

"Oh, really my lord. You're still in bed?" she chided as though speaking to a toddler. He heard the sweep of her skirts as she glided across the room and yanked the velvet curtains open smartly. "There, that's better. It's such a beautiful morning, isn't it?"

His only response was to pull the covers up higher over his head. He couldn't see his wife through the thick fabric but he sure could feel the burn of her glare.

"You know what day it is, of course," she proceeded tersely, but didn't wait for an answer before continuing. "And I, for one, think it's the perfect day for a wedding, don't you?" she asked, her voice strangely high.

"Perfect," was Laurie's muffled reply.

Amy cleared her throat daintily before speaking again. "I'm sorry you had to wake alone, I woke early to help Meg with the flowers this morning. Honestly, I don't understand why Jo insists on using those plain flowers in the field, instead of letting us help her get something more appropriate for a bouquet! She's so queer in her stubbornness." She waited for him to remark or agree, but she was met with silence so she went on. "I just returned to see you before I go over and help Jo. You really should rise and get dressed presently, no doubt you'll want some time alone with Jo before you lose her," she paused only a beat, "to the wedding frenzy."

He cringed at her tone, but remained hidden in his sanctuary of slumber until he felt the blankets being pulled back. He reluctantly opened one eye to see his wife watching him closely. She said nothing as she leaned down to place a kiss on his forehead before exiting the room again.

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"Jo," Laurie greeted lowly as he entered the garret.

Jo stiffened, her gaze found his in the reflection of the old floor length mirror she was looking in. He took a few steps closer, now standing only an inch behind her.

"You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen," he remarked quietly.

Jo swallowed harshly. "Except for Amy, of course."

"Of course," he answered tenuously. His eyes devoured her snowy gowned form unabashedly before his glance focused once more on her face in the smudged looking glass. "I was hoping we could have a moment alone before the wedding strings were cast."

"Yes, me too..." she barely answered, her back still to him. He placed his hands on each of her shoulders, slowly turning her around to face him. She looked into the face of her boy, her brow darkening at the sudden thought that he wasn't really _her_ boy any longer. It was a term that she had used so often to refer to him, and the thought that it wasn't an endearment befitting of an almost married woman such as herself iced her insides and made her feel inexplicably hollow.

"Jo," he tried his hardest to keep an even expression, but all of the pent up emotions begged to burst forth. "Jo, dearest Jo," he squeezed her shoulders fervently as words began to spill from his lips, "if there was even a chance that–"

"Teddy, don't – _please_," she interrupted, recognizing the wild hue glittering in his dark eyes. She watched as her stunted words distinguished that brief manic light that had fired so bright within him a moment before, an odd sense of disappointment washed over her. His hands fell limply from her shoulders, causing a sudden chill to cloak her in it's absence.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled dully, avoiding her gaze. "I forget myself," he mumbled. He took a step backward, his eyes never leaving hers.

"He's a good man, Teddy," Jo garbled. "And Amy is my sister."

"If," he stepped toward her again, taking her hands in his, expecting her to pull away but relieved that she didn't. He inhaled deeply. "If I hadn't married – if I had returned from Europe alone...would we..." he left the question floating unrealized in an invisible bubble, but she understood.

"I...I can't answer that," she whispered, blinking threatening tears away.

Laurie nodded choppily, his lips beginning to quiver. "We would, wouldn't we?" he uttered as his arms wrapped around her desperately.

She tried her best not to look at him, but his nose was almost touching hers. "I love Friedrich."

"You don't!" His grip tightened on her, his fingers pressing painfully into her back. "You don't love him and you and I both know it! If you had only been honest with yourself, Jo, you would have saved us all – saved us everything. You would have saved us, don't you understand?" he maundered violently, fat wells of salty water pooling in the corners of his lids. "You and I would be happy together, Amy would be happy with Fred Vaughn, everything would be as it should be. Can't you see it, Jo?" he asked almost frantically.

Jo set her jaw as she pushed her hands against his chest, making him relinquish his embrace. "No, you have to stop!" her chin wobbled.

Laurie was about to protest further but froze at her heartsick expression. "I should go," he finally said at length. He turned from her and started down the first stair out of the garret when she spoke.

"We'll always be family, Teddy..."

He gazed back at her. "Just not the way we should be, Jo," he returned weakly before hopping down the stairs two at a time.  
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"...I now pronounce you – husband and wife..."

Laurie forced himself to smile, though he felt as though a rough hand had punched a hole into his stomach and grabbed his intestines, twisting them as it yanked them out. He remembered Jo's words when he and Amy first returned home...

_"Teddy, we never can be boy and girl again. The happy old times can't come back, and we mustn't expect it. We are man and woman now, with sober work to do, for playtime is over, and we must give up frolicking."_

He stood next to the couple trying not to flinch as he watched another man kiss the love of his life.

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**Right, well there's another depressing one shot from me. Ah well, now I must work on one of my not quite as dark stories next. ****PS – I'm quite sleep deprived at the moment, hopefully my writing tonight doesn't suffer too horribly from it! But you know who it is when you have an idea stuck in your head, you have to get it out right then! My advance apologies if my insomnia really shows here: ) . **


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